A Brief Investigation of the UFW with Recommendations for Current Action for IDPL, ACTIVOS, and CYIC
Mayra Segoviano, Yadira Hernandez, Carlos Barrera Social Justice 101 – 1st Period March 24, 2009 Introduction: Why are we writing this paper? Imagine being outside most of the day, working on your knees and being paid less than a dollar a day. Would you be able to maintain a family with that amount of money? Many people struggled through this injustice. Farm workers were and still are one of the most economically disadvantaged groups in the U.S. They were not covered by health insurance and suffered from deadly pesticides. A pesticide is a chemical used to kill harmful animals or plants. Pesticides are used especially in agriculture and around areas where humans live. Some are harmful to humans, either from direct contact or as residue on food, or are harmful to the environment because of their high toxicity such as DDT. “Its ironic that those who till the soil cultivate and harvest the fruits, vegetables, and other foods that fill your tables with abundance have nothing left for themselves” said Cesar Chavez. Our purpose is to educate you about the United Farm Workers and to challenge you to make a change by gaining a clear understanding of the United Farm Workers. We want you to learn more about worker injustice in our society and how it occurred. We are going to explain the UFW’s beginning and explain the main ideas of the people involved in this organization. We are also going to inform you of systemic changes they tried to make. To emphasize that, we are going to give IDPL, ACTIVOS and CYIC five recommendations to develop stronger organizations. The Grassroots Beginning of UFW: How did it all start? The United Farm Workers union (UFW) has a special place in history of farm labor organizing. It is the only union that has gone further and crossed barriers to defend the rights of those who grow and harvest the crops, the poorest and most recent arrivals to this country in the fields. The UFW emerged from the oppressed grassroots and stood up to make a change. Cesar Chavez, their founder, is one of the most powerful grassroots leaders because he was able to organize farm workers. When Chavez was young he learned the hard lessons of life. He learned the important values of his parents. He was taught the value of hard work and soon became interested in the farm labor system. As César Chavez became older he devoted his life to helping others. He met a man named Fred Ross, who was an organizer. At that time he was recruiting members for the Community Service Organization (CSO).This organization helped members with immigration and tax problems and taught them how to organize and to deal with police violence and discrimination. Fred Ross influenced César Chavez and rapidly he developed as an organizer. Cesar Chavez wanted to create an organization to help farm workers who suffered difficulties. He joined the union strike with (AFL-CIO) and fought against wine grape growers. He successfully led a strike-boycott where millions of supporters rallied with the United Farm Workers. These events encouraged the UFW to affiliate their lives working for social change. They worked in changing peoples lives in the fields where harassment and vandalism against the exploited farm workers occurred on a daily basis. Farm labor contractors had favoritism with certain workers and would select friends first and sometimes enemies too. The UFW started from these roots and expanded across the nation. They had a positive affect on the entire American labor movement. It inspired other unions to organize many UFW associations and applied their organizing skills for justice. UFW Beliefs: What were they fighting for? The main ideas of the people involved in this group were to give the people sense of their own power to change an injustice and to provide farm workers and other working people with the inspiration and tools to for equality. They believe in social change and recommitting the movement to non-violence. The UFW values integrity, innovation, non-violence, empowerment and a “Si Se Puede” attitude. People in this organization grew up with systemic oppression. Since UFW members have faced poverty, brutality, and exploitation, they deeply believe in justice Their vision was and is to have unionism to and reclaim dignity for people who were being marginalized by society. The UFW wants to fight for a better life to change the world. They want to grow a wave of Latino activism and electoral activity to gain in rights for farm workers. The UFW incorporated the Aztec eagle as its symbol to show the connection the union had to migrant workers of Mexican American descent. The Aztec eagle symbolizes respect to their future. The Strategies of Action: Did the UFW seek systemic change? The United Farm Workers did seek real systemic changes with the help of César Chavez. As he developed his new organization, the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), he placed harsher demands on himself than on anyone else in the movement. They never expected that the victory in the battle for farm workers rights would be easily achieved. The NFWA conducted many strikes to fight for their rights to gain a wage increase. This union was established to defend the rights of those who grow and harvest the crops, especially since many who worked in the fields had to move rapidly to survive .They were told that if they went to strike they would easily be replaced by another employer. The NFWA didn’t give up easily even when the laws became enforced and made it more difficult for them to fight. The NFWA united with AWOS to form the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (UFWUC). This new union received funds and strike support from many other unions that provided food, cash, and office equipment. The union provided them health clinics and health plans, credit unions, community centers and cooperative gas stations, and most importantly higher wages. These things led to an end to some discrimination and favoritism by labor contractors. With this help the UFW became stronger grew into a civil rights movement. The UFW had a positive effect on the entire American labor movement. They won the rights for the poorest and the least protected workers through strikes, marches, and boycotts. The UFW strengthened and reshaped movements by building Latino political power and helping to grew a national campaign for immigration rights. One of the most important and famous events that the UFW fought was the grape boycott. The pesticides from the grapes ripening in the fields caused major health problems for underpaid farmers and nine farms struck. After the strike began they raised wages up to $1.25 per hour. The signing of the grape contract was a major victory for the union. AWOC (Agriculture Workers Organizing Committee) struck and increased the pay rate during the harvest for farm workers. Five Recommendations for ACTIVOS & CYIC: The United Farm Workers were a strong group of people with strong beliefs. IDPL, ACTIVOS and CYIC and other student and community organizations can learn to fight for what you want to change and not let anything hold you back. Here are five recommendations that will help IDPL, CYIC and ACTIVOS grow and develop into strong organizations who do not give up because if you give up you won’t succeed in making a change. ·Plan a direct action like a strike or boycott; design a unique plan that nobody has done so many of us could share and remain proud of being involved in an important organization that is fighting for social change; ·Build a union or coalition with your own people and all oppressed people. Unite and discuss the issues that need to be solved for the better, just as Cesar Chavez gathered the farm workers to fight for their rights; ·Apply your skills in other communities and struggles. Exchange ideas and beliefs and unite them all together to come up with a stronger voice. Write a platform of demands for what you want; ·Have a good understanding and evidence to back up the issue that you believe needs to be changed just like the UFW proved the farm workers were being abused and oppressed; ·Emphasize the importance of caring for others, caring for the present, and for the future. Become an activist because you believe in the power of love for yourself and others. Our Final Thoughts: Keep Fighting Injustice with Direct Action! We think that the UFW had a great impact in the farm workers life because they took direct action and helped themselves and the new generation to have a wage increase and have the same equal rights as other workers. We learned to work together as a whole and unite with better ideas to help ourselves to have a better tomorrow. We also learned not to become oppressed and scared of anyone that tries to manipulate us and make us feel less than them. Everything depends on our generation of youth to fight for systemic change. “Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducated the person who has learned to read, you cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore we have seen the future and the future is ours.” – Cesar Chavez. That’s our main belief.
United Farm Workers
A Brief Investigation of the UFW
with Recommendations for Current Action
for IDPL, ACTIVOS, and CYIC
Mayra Segoviano, Yadira Hernandez, Carlos Barrera
Social Justice 101 – 1st Period
March 24, 2009
Introduction: Why are we writing this paper?
Imagine being outside most of the day, working on your knees and being paid less than a dollar a day. Would you be able to maintain a family with that amount of money? Many people struggled through this injustice. Farm workers were and still are one of the most economically disadvantaged groups in the U.S. They were not covered by health insurance and suffered from deadly pesticides. A pesticide is a chemical used to kill harmful animals or plants. Pesticides are used especially in agriculture and around areas where humans live. Some are harmful to humans, either from direct contact or as residue on food, or are harmful to the environment because of their high toxicity such as DDT. “Its ironic that those who till the soil cultivate and harvest the fruits, vegetables, and other foods that fill your tables with abundance have nothing left for themselves” said Cesar Chavez.
Our purpose is to educate you about the United Farm Workers and to challenge you to make a change by gaining a clear understanding of the United Farm Workers. We want you to learn more about worker injustice in our society and how it occurred. We are going to explain the UFW’s beginning and explain the main ideas of the people involved in this organization. We are also going to inform you of systemic changes they tried to make. To emphasize that, we are going to give IDPL, ACTIVOS and CYIC five recommendations to develop stronger organizations.
The Grassroots Beginning of UFW: How did it all start?
The United Farm Workers union (UFW) has a special place in history of farm labor organizing. It is the only union that has gone further and crossed barriers to defend the rights of those who grow and harvest the crops, the poorest and most recent arrivals to this country in the fields. The UFW emerged from the oppressed grassroots and stood up to make a change. Cesar Chavez, their founder, is one of the most powerful grassroots leaders because he was able to organize farm workers. When Chavez was young he learned the hard lessons of life. He learned the important values of his parents. He was taught the value of hard work and soon became interested in the farm labor system. As César Chavez became older he devoted his life to helping others. He met a man named Fred Ross, who was an organizer. At that time he was recruiting members for the Community Service Organization (CSO).This organization helped members with immigration and tax problems and taught them how to organize and to deal with police violence and discrimination. Fred Ross influenced César Chavez and rapidly he developed as an organizer.
Cesar Chavez wanted to create an organization to help farm workers who suffered difficulties. He joined the union strike with (AFL-CIO) and fought against wine grape growers. He successfully led a strike-boycott where millions of supporters rallied with the United Farm Workers. These events encouraged the UFW to affiliate their lives working for social change. They worked in changing peoples lives in the fields where harassment and vandalism against the exploited farm workers occurred on a daily basis. Farm labor contractors had favoritism with certain workers and would select friends first and sometimes enemies too.
The UFW started from these roots and expanded across the nation. They had a positive affect on the entire American labor movement. It inspired other unions to organize many UFW associations and applied their organizing skills for justice.
UFW Beliefs: What were they fighting for?
The main ideas of the people involved in this group were to give the people sense of their own power to change an injustice and to provide farm workers and other working people with the inspiration and tools to for equality. They believe in social change and recommitting the movement to non-violence. The UFW values integrity, innovation, non-violence, empowerment and a “Si Se Puede” attitude. People in this organization grew up with systemic oppression. Since UFW members have faced poverty, brutality, and exploitation, they deeply believe in justice Their vision was and is to have unionism to and reclaim dignity for people who were being marginalized by society. The UFW wants to fight for a better life to change the world. They want to grow a wave of Latino activism and electoral activity to gain in rights for farm workers. The UFW incorporated the Aztec eagle as its symbol to show the connection the union had to migrant workers of Mexican American descent. The Aztec eagle symbolizes respect to their future.
The Strategies of Action: Did the UFW seek systemic change?
The United Farm Workers did seek real systemic changes with the help of César Chavez. As he developed his new organization, the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), he placed harsher demands on himself than on anyone else in the movement. They never expected that the victory in the battle for farm workers rights would be easily achieved. The NFWA conducted many strikes to fight for their rights to gain a wage increase. This union was established to defend the rights of those who grow and harvest the crops, especially since many who worked in the fields had to move rapidly to survive .They were told that if they went to strike they would easily be replaced by another employer.
The NFWA didn’t give up easily even when the laws became enforced and made it more difficult for them to fight. The NFWA united with AWOS to form the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (UFWUC). This new union received funds and strike support from many other unions that provided food, cash, and office equipment. The union provided them health clinics and health plans, credit unions, community centers and cooperative gas stations, and most importantly higher wages. These things led to an end to some discrimination and favoritism by labor contractors. With this help the UFW became stronger grew into a civil rights movement. The UFW had a positive effect on the entire American labor movement. They won the rights for the poorest and the least protected workers through strikes, marches, and boycotts. The UFW strengthened and reshaped movements by building Latino political power and helping to grew a national campaign for immigration rights.
One of the most important and famous events that the UFW fought was the grape boycott. The pesticides from the grapes ripening in the fields caused major health problems for underpaid farmers and nine farms struck. After the strike began they raised wages up to $1.25 per hour. The signing of the grape contract was a major victory for the union. AWOC (Agriculture Workers Organizing Committee) struck and increased the pay rate during the harvest for farm workers.
Five Recommendations for ACTIVOS & CYIC:
The United Farm Workers were a strong group of people with strong beliefs. IDPL, ACTIVOS and CYIC and other student and community organizations can learn to fight for what you want to change and not let anything hold you back.
Here are five recommendations that will help IDPL, CYIC and ACTIVOS grow and develop into strong organizations who do not give up because if you give up you won’t succeed in making a change.
· Plan a direct action like a strike or boycott; design a unique plan that nobody has done so many of us could share and remain proud of being involved in an important organization that is fighting for social change;
· Build a union or coalition with your own people and all oppressed people. Unite and discuss the issues that need to be solved for the better, just as Cesar Chavez gathered the farm workers to fight for their rights;
· Apply your skills in other communities and struggles. Exchange ideas and beliefs and unite them all together to come up with a stronger voice. Write a platform of demands for what you want;
· Have a good understanding and evidence to back up the issue that you believe needs to be changed just like the UFW proved the farm workers were being abused and oppressed;
· Emphasize the importance of caring for others, caring for the present, and for the future. Become an activist because you believe in the power of love for yourself and others.
Our Final Thoughts: Keep Fighting Injustice with Direct Action!
We think that the UFW had a great impact in the farm workers life because they took direct action and helped themselves and the new generation to have a wage increase and have the same equal rights as other workers. We learned to work together as a whole and unite with better ideas to help ourselves to have a better tomorrow. We also learned not to become oppressed and scared of anyone that tries to manipulate us and make us feel less than them. Everything depends on our generation of youth to fight for systemic change.
“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducated the person who has learned to read, you cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore we have seen the future and the future is ours.” – Cesar Chavez. That’s our main belief.